The present application relates to software and more specifically to user interface designs and accompanying methods for facilitating providing informative search results and related insight.
Software for providing informative search results is employed in various demanding applications, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project management and resource management applications. Such applications often demand effective features for facilitating making informed selections from search results.
In an example enterprise environment, a given project may require certain resources, such as human resources (e.g. personnel) to meet certain needs. A resource manager may employ resource management software to ascertain available resources to meet those needs. In response to a resource query, also called a resource request, the resource management software may provide specialized search results based on search criteria included in the resource request. The search criteria may set forth certain requirements, e.g., pertaining to personnel availability, qualifications, proficiencies, and so on, in accordance with project needs.
The resource management software may employ the search criteria and a qualification scoring algorithm to score resources and thereby determine the specialized search results. A resource manager typically selects one or more resources from the displayed search results to assign to work on a particular project.
However, conventionally, qualification scores behind the search results are often not readily accessible, viewable, or understandable in view of the search results. Furthermore, conventional qualification scoring algorithms are often excessively complex. Consequently, resource managers often cannot not be certain that a particular resource shown among the search results is preferable to another resource or that the search results present proper matches for a particular resource request. Hence, conventional search results may be relatively unreliable, complex, and limited, thereby potentially inhibiting informed decision making and reducing resource manager productivity.